Her Bruises
by GirL0vesDoom
Summary: After a night with Montparnasse, Eponine finds herself at the cafe Musain and Enjolras finds himself looking at her bruises. Modern!AU. Rated T for abuse and adult themes, but nothing too graphic. Eventual E/E.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I originally wrote this for my Les Mis drabble blog on tumblr, but I thought I would post it here too. For now I'm not sure if this will just be a oneshot or if I should continue it...so send in a review and tell me what you want me to do with it? That is if you like it of course. So sit back and enjoy reading!**

A fire crackled low in the fireplace after a long night of casting a warm glow over the small cafe. Enjolras sat at a table near the burning embers, head bent over notes and hand dug into hair in concentration. He wasn't sure what time it was, but most of his friends had left for the evening, back to their warm homes and away from the now steadily falling snow. The only remaining person in the cafe other than Enjolras was seated at a table across the room from him, face in arms and hand grasping a half empty bottle. Enjolras rolled his eyes at Grantaire and made a mental note to try and find the rest of the Absinthe stash he knew his friend was hiding back at his apartment. If he was going to drink, the least Grantaire could do was drink something that wasn't illegal. Enjolras slowly looked away from the slumbering man and put his attention back to his books. After a few more minutes of deciphering the words on the page, his eyes began to burn from exhaustion and he decided that it would be okay to quit for the night. Besides, tomorrow as Saturday and he had the whole day to study and finish up work.

Just as he was gathering up his books, however, the door to the cafe opened quietly and the little bell above it let out a ding. A figure wrapped in a dark trench coat with a hat pulled securely over it's head stepped inside, a few stray snowflakes blowing from behind. Enjolras snapped his head up to look at the person. He knew that coat. It was Eponine.

Slowly he sat back down into his chair, watching the girl step towards the counter just a few feet away from his table and take an order from the sleepy barista. Enjolras had always had a fascination with the edgy girl that mostly kept to herself. She usually came to the cafe when the Amis were all there and would sit with Marius at a table, listening to the chatter and drunken banter around them as Marius wrote loving poetry to that girl that he was taken with. What was her name? Colette? No, it was Cosette. Yes, that was it. Eponine never really talked to anyone else, though many had tried to strike up a conversation. How could he leave now? It was not often he had an opportunity to observe her alone.

Tonight, he watched as she took her black coffee and moved to a table in between the drunken man and the law student. It was then he noticed that she was carrying a book in her other hand. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Good choice. Enjolras had read that many times as a fun read. He quickly averted his eyes and turned his head to his books as she glanced his way. Satisfied that he wasn't paying attention, she began to pull off her coat. As she looked away again, he let his eyes wander back towards her and watched as she sat down in the old chair.

They sat in silence for a while, him studying as he glanced her way occasionally, and her engulfed in her book, sipping her coffee slowly. It was a strange silence, but both were strangely content.

After a bit, Enjolras watched as Eponine stretched her arms up over head, loosening her joints a bit. She didn't realize it, but her long sleeves moved up on her lower arms. Enjolras couldn't help but notice a long splotch of light blue, and then another one exactly like it just a bit higher, and then another one just above the second on her exposed wrist. Were those...bruises? No, they couldn't be. Eponine stretched her arms behind her and away from the chair, arching her back and letting her shirt ride up to reveal her midriff. Normally that's when Enjolras would look away, but this time it was different. As the shirt moved farther up on her waist, he noticed the same purple splotches on her protruding hip bones, but they looked much darker, newer, harsher. There was no fighting it now. Those were bruises. Those were bruises in the perfect shape of a hand.

A sudden rage filled Enjolras as he watched her lean back down over her book and run a hand through her hair. Who could do that to someone? That was more than just an accidental bruise from running her hip into the side of a table. Those were purposely inflicted. But from who? He though back to the people he'd seen her with. Marius? Never. Gavroche, her little brother? It was almost comical to think about. He shook his head. He didn't know anyone else she associated herself with. He gulped. What was this poor girl going through?

It was then that he realized that he was staring straight at her, and she back at him. A faint blush was creeping across her cheeks and she pulled her sleeves farther over her wrists and hands. She knew he had seen. He quickly looked to his hands, where he saw he was clenching his fists together, his knuckles turning white. He could still feel her gaze on him and he looked back at her, feeling his confidence coming back. There were questions in his eyes, and she looked away, back to her book.

Before anything else could happen, there was a grumble from the drunk Grantaire and he shot up in his chair, looking around wildly before groaning and covering his head with his hands. Enjolras's attention snapped to him immediately and he drew himself up out of his chair and walked towards him. "Let's get you home, yeah?" He said sternly to his friend. Enjolras quickly gathered his books once again before putting a strong grip on Grantaire's upper arm. He allowed himself one more look over his shoulder at the reading girl before exiting the cafe. She wasn't reading anymore, but staring after the boys, a pained expression on her face. As the two's gazes met she swallowed hard and picked up her coffee and book before rushing past the two and out into the cold night.

That night, Enjolras found it hard to think of anything except the mysterious girl and her strange bruises.

**A/N: So that was that! I really hoped you liked it. Please send in a review and please please please PLEASE tell me if you want me to leave it or write more, because I'm seriously torn. So obviously this is written from Enjolras's point of view, and if I do end up writing more chapters I'll probably start with Eponine's point of view from some part in this chapter and have it extend a little more so there is more of a feel for Montparnasse's personality in this. **

**The original post and my Les Mis tumblr is mon-barricade-boys with the normal tumblr URL ending. Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Quick A/N. This is just kind of a filler chapter, getting a perspective from Eponine before I continue on with the story, plus it gives a little backstory on her relationship with Montparnasse. I know it's not a lot, but there will most likely be more in later chapters. I hope you like it.**

Eponine stared at the bruises that littered her skin. Fresh purple splotches overlapped with the old, yellowing ones. It seemed Montparnasse really loved to leave his mark in those specific areas. She bit her lip as she poked the tender spot on her right hip. At least it wasn't as bad as the last time Montparnasse had gotten drunk.

He had been getting drunk a lot more in the past few months, and with that, angry. He had always been a rather angry man, but never this bad. Never so bad that he would hit her. It had started only two months ago with little things. Things like Eponine saying something she shouldn't have when they were fighting, earning her new bruises from the grip he held on her arm and mean words whispered in her ear instead of the loving ones she hoped for. Then, slowly, it became worse. Instead of fights, all she had to do was stay out too late without him knowing, which was exactly what happened tonight.

Her boss had asked her to extend her shift for a few more hours because one of her coworkers wasn't able to come in. Eponine eagerly agreed, spotting a perfect opportunity to escape meeting with Montparnasse for a little while longer. What she didn't expect was for him to show up there, already tipsy and beyond angry that she hadn't showed up at his apartment yet.

He waited outside for her in his truck, giving her more and more anxiety by the second. It was when her boss told her that he was going to lock up for the night that she began to feel the fear creeping up. Eponine quickly gathered her things, avoiding anyone else so that they wouldn't have the chance to ask her why her face showed off so much of the fright she was feeling inside. After one last "goodbye", she was out of the store and in Montparnasse's direct line of fire.

She slipped into the truck without a sound and the eerie silence continued as he drove back to his apartment. In the time that they reached the small building, he still had not said one word to her. Eponine began to hope that she was in the clear for this one time. Boy, was she wrong.

No longer than the door to the apartment had closed behind them was she pressed against the wall, Montparnasse's long fingers pressing harshly into her hips. "I've been waiting for you, 'Ponine. I thought you said you were getting off work at eight?" He breathed into her ear as he took one more step toward her.

She cringed at the smell of rum on his breath and turned her head before he could kiss her, making his lips land on her jaw instead. He didn't seem to notice and just continued kissing her down to her neck. Eponine fought the urge to gag. "I-I couldn't leave...Sam needed me to take an extra shift." She said quietly.

At the mention of her bosses name, Montparnasse pulled back and made a face that could be described as less than attractive. "Oh of course _Sam_ would want you to stay. I always knew he had a thing for you, and here you are encouraging him." He sneered at her, moving his hands to grip her wrists uncomfortably. She could literally feel them bruising. "I think you're forgetting, Eponine, that you already belong to someone." He growled, running his hands up her arms and then down to her waist before pressing her harder against the wall. "Me."

Then his lips were on hers and she couldn't do anything. She was fully under his control and it felt so wrong. His lips were rough and harsh, nothing like she imagined a kiss from someone who claimed he loved her would feel like. Nothing felt okay. His fingertips dug too harshly into her skin. His prickly upper lip scratched against hers. She could almost feel the sick smile he was wearing behind the kiss as he relished in the fact that he _owned _her.

He pulled back after far too long and stepped away from her, leaving her to slump in defeat against the wall beside the door. She knew what would happen next. He would go and grab a beer, satisfied with the terror he had inflicted on her for one night, and head to the couch. He wouldn't even spare one more glance at the girl. As he headed toward the kitchen, she re-adjusted her jacket and pulled the door to the apartment open. After one last look behind her, she swallowed the tears that were threatening to spill over, and just like always she headed out into the cold.

Once back at her apartment, she went straight to the bathroom and pulled her shirt up to examine the marks he left, which left her where she was now. Sighing, she pulled her shirt back down around her small frame and left the bathroom, going straight to her bedside table where her latest book was. The one up to her day was that she would be able to go to the cafe Musain for a while and enter the world of literature. Tucking the book in the crook of her arm, she pulled her hat on over ears and made her way into the now falling snow.

As she walked toward the cafe, all she could think about was how much he could have done to her, but didn't. Yeah, she was lucky that night.

**A/N: It's pretty obvious what comes next, she goes the cafe and Enjy's there and like bruises and blah blah. Part one everybody. I hope you like this part, though! Send me ideas for the next chapter 'cause I'm actually having a really hard time thinking of ideas. So review and yeah...Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

Enjolras looked around the small café for the first time that night since his friends had shown up. It was now almost empty, save a few regulars that had nothing to do with the Amis, and a drunk Courfeyrac and Grantaire sitting in the corner usually occupied by the Amis. Enjolras had spent most of the night reading yet another book, this time it was

Oliver Twist. Yes, like Great Expectations, he had read it many times before, but seeing Eponine read a Charles Dickens book had motivated him to revisit the works written by one of his favorite authors.

In fact, in the past week, he had already gone through both Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities while spending his time in the café. Yes, that did take up much of his time. Time that Enjolras usually spent back at his apartment, studying for the next exam or writing his term paper. His friends had began to wonder why he was spending so much time at the café. Enjolras did love the place like a second home, but they had never seen him so dedicated to sitting at that exact table every day after classes until well into the night. They tried everything to see if he would budge. They invited him out, offered to all go out to dinner, the works, but every time he would tell them that he was busy and they should go on without him. Eventually they just gave up and let him be.

What they really didn't know was that Enjolras was waiting. He was waiting for the bruised girl to show up again. Eponine hadn't come back to the café ever since she noticed him looking at her injuries. That would mean, today, she hadn't been seen by any of the Amis in 8 days. Not even Marius had mentioned her, and he was supposedly one of her "great friends". Enjolras didn't know why, but he felt concerned for the girl. Maybe it was just his chivalrous attitude, but he felt like he needed to help her. Yes, she had gone weeks without coming to the café before and no one really cared, but that was before Enjolras knew about the bruises. Now that wasn't okay. Now that meant she could be in danger.

So there he sat, every day, waiting for her to come into the café. It had become such a routine that he almost didn't know what to do when the familiar ding of the door opening and hitting the bell above it sounded and a petite figure came into the café, coat drawn tightly. He looked up from his book and did a double take, making sure he wasn't seeing things. No, that was definitely Eponine. She had another book in hand. This time, it was The Great Gatsby. He swallowed and looked down at his book quickly, not wanting to seem like he was staring. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her order her drink and then make his way to a table near him.

The two sat for a while, the only sound was the rambling from the two drunks in the corner and the slight shuffling of papers from the other customers. Occasionally Enjolras would notice Eponine glance at him as she turned the page in her book, but only for a few seconds before diving back into the story. Enjolras figured that nothing would happen now, so he pushed himself instead to concentrate on finishing the book he held now.

After what seemed like hours, but was really only maybe twenty minutes, he felt a presence in front of his table. He looked up, startled, only to find it was Eponine standing there, staring down at him, coffee in hand. She bit her lip and pulled the chair across from him out and sat down, leaning across the table and talking quickly and quietly. "I know what you saw, but you can't say anything. Not to anyone. Please." She glanced at the two Amis across the room, but they were too caught up in a game of cards using the deck Grantaire always kept on his person to notice. "And please, please, tell me you didn't say anything yet." Eponine looked back at him, eyebrows drawn.

He couldn't help but lean forward and reply sadly, "Who did it and why?" He didn't know why he said it, but he felt he had a right to know. If she was going to ask him to hide it he might as well have a good enough reason. At his question, her face immediately turned from urgency to stone.

"You don't need to know any of that. Just please tell me what I need to know and I'll leave you alone." She said coldly before biting her lip once more. He hated that. It made her seem to vulnerable.

"I didn't say anything." He kept it short, not wanting to make her any more angry than she was already. "Eponine...whatever's happening doesn't seem to be good..do you need help?" Enjolras didn't mean to be so blunt, but he needed to make sure she understood that he was there if she needed it. Hell, the whole of the Amis were. Despite her only really being friends with Marius, any friend of one of them was a friend of all of them.

Before the sentence was barely out, she was already standing. She glanced down at him once more, a small smile on her face. A rarity from Eponine, who always seemed so down and lonely. "No...but thank you Enjolras..thank you for, you know, not saying anything. And thank you for not asking." She glanced out the window and he followed her gaze to a black pick-up truck. Eponine looked back at him and he could see the defeat in her eyes. "I have to go...see you later." She said before gathering her jacket and her book and disappearing out the door once more.

Sighing, he watched her climb into the car with a man he had never seen before. Quickly after the door shut, the car sped down the street with a horrible screech from the tires. That's when he realized something. Even if Eponine didn't want his help, he was going to anyways. There was something happening to Eponine. Something bad, and he was going to find out what.

**A/N: I'm really nervous about this part guys. I wasn't sure how to have them first talk and I thought that maybe this was the way to go...I know it's not cute or fluffy or like anything close to E/E yet, but whatever. Takin' it slow, yeah? I'm not sure if I wrote this how it should have been, so please, please let me know if you liked it. **

**Anyways, thanks for reading and please review!**


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